Friday, January 20, 2017

We do Jallikattu: Protests erupt across Tamil Nadu as thousands brace up to defy the SC order

Hours after the Supreme Court rejected a plea inviting its interference to allow Jallikattu during this Pongal, protests erupted across Tamil Nadu. The police had to resort to lathicharge to control the situation at several places. More than two dozen people were arrested for illegally holding Jallikattu in Cuddalore town.

The
chorus in support of the sport grew with more sections of people,
including students, joining protests in different parts of the state,
including in places where it is not so popular.

Students of
state-run Anna University and Dr Ambedkar Law University took to the
streets in support for Jallikattu. While Anna varsity students staged a
sit-in protest, law students took out a rally here. Similar
demonstrations were held by students in various places, including
Vellore, Pudukottai and Tirupur.

A students’ protest in Madurai
turned violent when police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse them.
The agitators said it was a peaceful protest and they were on their way
to the collector's office to submit a letter in support of the
Jallikattu when police stopped them.

About 10,000 people converged at a ground in Coimbatore in
support of Jallikattu, while protests were staged in Sivaganga,
Dindigul, Pudukottai and Salem districts.

Both the ruling AIADMK
and Opposition DMK came out with statements portraying the importance of
Jallikattu to Tamil culture, and vowed to push the Centre in this
regard.

The bull taming sport Jallikattu, organised to celebrate
Pongal festival, has not been held in Tamil Nadu for the last two years.
It was first banned in May 2014 by the apex court. In 2016 though the
Centre permitted the event, the court stepped in and stayed it. Animal
rights groups oppose the sport on the grounds of cruelty to animals.

DMK
working president, MK Stalin, announced on Thursday that his party
would hold protests in every district of the state on Friday to “force
the Centre to allow the sport”. AIADMK spokesperson C Saraswati dubbed
the apex court decision as “unfortunate,” and said the state government
would do everything in its power to ensure that the event is held.

Stalin
also participated in a demonstration held by college students here
seeking permission for jallikattu. “I extended support for the agitation
by participating in their protest. It is welcome that students are
holding protests for Jallikattu,” he said.

He said only such
solidarity and participation by students “guarded our mother tongue”, in
an apparent reference to the large scale anti-Hindi protests by
students in 1960’s. “Similarly, I believe that students’ agitations will
protect jallikattu, the cultural symbol of the Tamil people,” Stalin
said.

Functionaries of Naam Tamizhar Katchi conducted Jallikattu in
Cuddalore near the Thiruvanthipuram Devanatha Swamy Temple premises and
police arrested 28 people for violating the ban.

Film
personalities including actor Sathyaraj, filmmaker Karu Pazhaniappan
participated in a stir here pledging support for Jallikattu. Actor Simbu
held a silent protest.

In Coimbatore, people from different
spheres of life, cutting across caste, linguistic and political
barriers, took part in the protest at the sprawling CODISSIA grounds
under the banner of “Voice for Jallikattu”.

The protests over
Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu had its echo in the neighbouring union
territory of Puducherry where volunteers of various youth outfits staged
a human chain agitation supporting the bull taming sport on the ground
that it was part of the time-honoured tradition of the Tamils.

The
Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking its intervention to
lift the ban on Jallikattu before Saturday saying it is “unfair to ask
bench to pass an order” while the draft of the judgment has been
prepared.